The Ford Thunderbird entered the final year of its second generation in 1960, spanning just three years. The 1960 Ford T-Bird saw various subtle trim updates before a new generation arrived for 1961. The 1960 T-Birds are visually set apart from the ’58 and ’59 models with the addition of a third taillight on each side.

The two engine options from the previous year continued to be offered. They were the 354 cid V-8 with 300 horsepower, and the big 430 cid V-8 with 345 hp. Power went put to the rear wheels through either a 3-speed manual transmission or a Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission.

Ford sold 11,680 convertible Thunderbirds in 1960. For this year, Ford also offered a sunroof as an option. Though commonplace now, the sunroof was still a novelty at the time, and Ford licensed the design from German company Golde. Hence, sunroof-equipped models from this year are called “Golde Editions.” Ford sold 2,530 examples, making them relatively rare.

The truly rarest of the 1960 Thunderbirds were the two constructed from stainless steel. They were built for the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation at the monumental price of $35,000 each. One of the pair is on display at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburg, PA.

1960 marked the third of the three years that constitute the second-generation Thunderbird. It went out with a bang, with Ford producing 92,843 examples for the 1960 model year, almost as much as the two previous years combined.